Controlling apparatus for electrical switching systems.



J. N. REYNOLDS.

I CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCHING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. I9l3.

2 $EETS-SHEET I.

//7ve/7/0/'.' fan N. Reyna/d8 Patented Nov. 30, 1915. Q Q' *3 es: Mas

W/fness J. N. REYNOLDS.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCHING SYSTEMS.

' A?PLICAT|0N FILED NOV. 4. m3.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/fnesses' /n van/0r:

MA Jo/m /v m m/d8 mw by UNITED STATES Parana? oration.

JOHN NEWBERRY REYNOLDS, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB, TO WESTERNELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING'APPABATUS FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCHING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. P3 5921 tQGNOV. 30, 1915.

Application filed November 4,1913. Serial No. 799,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Nnwnnnny REYNOLDS; a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fair-field and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ControllingApparatus for Electrical Switching Systems, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to key mechanism. and particularly to key setsfor use with the controlling or sending mechanism of automatic 01semi-automatic telephone sys tems.

The object of this invention is the provision of a key set which may beused with a plurality of senders with which it would be alternatelyassociated in the ordinary operation of the keys. i

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a group of keys with partsbroken away; Fig. is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the keydepressed; Fig. '5 is a perspective view of a portion of the key setwith parts broken away; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing ,thereleasing means for the shift bar; Fig. 7 is a, view similar to Fig. 6showing the key plunger depressed; Figs, 8 and 9 are plan views of theoperating cam in different positions; and Fig. 10 is a cross sectionalview of a modification of the device.

In the application of this invention, a

plurality of groups of ten digits keys each on one side of the row ofkeys would be and vice versa.

thereunder and 3 a plurality of key plungeis i provided with the buttonsor heads 1. The plunger-s are longitudinally movable through the plate 1and support 2 but are prevented from rotary movement by means of thespline Loosely mounted on each plunger between the fixed collars 6 and 7is a spring operating member 8 of insulating material. The cam portion 9of the member 8 extends slightly less than a semicircle about thecircumference thereof. Insulatively secured to the member 2 on oppositesidcs of each plunger 3 are two pairs of springs 10, 11 and 12, 13respectively. These pairs of contacts will be connected to diit'erentsending apparatus and when the cam 9 occupies one position, spring 10will be caused to engage spring 11, and when said cam is rotated in aclockwise direction a small faction of a revolution,said cam will bemoved from a position to engage spring 10 and the depression of a keywill then cause a spring 12 to engage spring 13. The means for rotatingthe cam 9 will be hereinafter described.

Springs 10 and 12 are provided with arma'tures 11 and 15 respectively.Extending parallel to each series of armatures 11 and 15 is a pair ofplates 16 and 17 of magnetic material which form the pole pieces for themagnets 18, a plurality of which are mountel between the plates 16 and17. These magnets serve to retain any of the armatures '11 and 15brought into engagement therewith. Thus, when a spring 10 or 12 isforced into engagement with its cooperating spring 11 or 13, itsarmature 11 or 15 will simultaneously engage the plates 16 and 17 andwill be held in engagement therewith by the magnetic attraction exertedby magnets 18 until the said magnet is de'e'nergized.

We will now describe the means whereby the operating cams 9 areautomatically r0 tated on the plunger 3 to shift them from operativerelation to the springs 10, 11 and into operative relation to thesprings 12, 13 Slidably mounted, slightly above the upper faces of theseveral cams, is a shift bar 19 provided with a plurality of notches 20,e2 ch of which is adapted to re;- ceive a pm 21 proJectmg upwardly from"the upper surface of a cam member 9. Jr

spring 22 is provided whereby the bar 19 is normally drawn to the rightas viewed in" 119 Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Mounted adjacent to the left end ofthe bar, as viewed in said figures,

' wise direction, as viewed in Fig. v1, by means pf; the engagement oftheir pins 21 with the "notches in said bar.

i fhen the bar 19 is moved to the left, it is retained in this positionby means of the pawl 27 engaging the notch in said bar. This pawl ispivoted at 29 and is normally held in operative position by means of aspring 30. Pivotally secured to one endof the pawl 27 is a link 31, theopposite end of which is pivotally secured to the lug 32 on the rockingplate 33 (see Figs, 3 and 5). The rocking plate 33 has at each endthereof, an upwardly projecting lug 34 which is pivoted to a portion ofthe key set framework as at 35.

Mounted in a vertical position on the framework, slightly above theinner edge of the rocking plate 33, is a plate 35 with an offset portion37, having formed therein the notches or grooves 38. Extending upwardlyfrom each cam 9, adjacent to the plate 36, is a pan 39 which .ishent atthe upper end thereof to form the outwardly extending release finger 40.Then the plate 19 is moved.

to the right and the cams 9 are in a position to engage the springs 10,the release finger 40 will be in a position so that, upon the depressionof a key, it will pass idly by the plates 36 and 33 without engagementtherewith. A

Insulatively mounted upon the supporting member 2, adjacent to each pairof springs 12, 13, is an additional pair of springs 41, 42 Fixed to theside of the rotatable member 8 and projecting downwardly therefrom is apin 43 having a rightangularly extending portion 44 (see Figs. 4, 8 and9). The spring 42 is provided. at the upper end thereof with theright-angular extension terminating in a cam member 45, arranged to beengaged by the extension 44 on the pin 43, when the cams 9 are in position to actuate springs 10 and 11. This cam pin is soarranged that onthe depression of the key the extension 44 will engage the outer andupper surface of the cam and spring 41 will thus be forced away fromspring 42. Upon the upward movement of the key, however, the extension44 will engage the opposite side of the cam, and spring 41 will becaused to engage spring 42.. This will cause a circuit to be completedthrough i the shift magnet 23, thus drawing the bar 19 to thefleft, inwhich position it will be held y, the" pawl 27. The cams 9 are now in aposition for engagement with the springs 12. If one of the keys be nowdepressed, the finger 40 will pass down through the notch 3S'intoengagement with the rocking plate 33. Upon further downward movement of,

the key, the plate 33 will be rotated about its supporting points 35,forcing the link 31 to the right and withdrawing the pawl 27 from thenotch 28, thus releasing the bar 19 which will return to its normalposition under the tension of the spring The notches or grooves 38 areprovided to prevent rotation of the cam and consequent movement of thebar 19 until after the key has been sufficiently depressed to causeongagement of the spring 12 with the contact 13. The depression of thekey this time will not cause engagement of the release finger 44 withthe cam 45 on the spring 41, as the gain will now occupy the positionshown in Assuming that the bar 19 is in its normal or retractedposition, the operation of the key set is briefly as follows: Upondepressing one .of the keys 4, the corresponding spring 10 Will beforced into engagement with its coiiperating spring 11, thus completinga circuit to one controller. Upon the release of the key during theupward movement thereof, the release finger 44 will engage the cam 45,closing the contact between springs 41 and 42, thus energizing the shiftmagnet and causing the bar to be shifted to the left where it will beheld by the pawl '27. \Vhen one of the keys 4 is next depressed, the cam9 will have been shifted so that spring 12 will be forced intoengagement with spring 13. Simultaneously therewith the release linger40 will engage the rocking plate 33, causing the pawl 27 to be retractedand allowingthe parts to re turn to their normal. position.

In Fig. 10 a modification of the device just described is shown. Thisstructure opelites in substantially the same manner as that justdescribed, but the operating means is slightly different. In this figurethe springs 46, 47 and 48, 49 correspond to the springs 10, 11 and 12,13- just described. The springs 46, 48 are adapted to be forced intoengagement with the springs 47, 4f) by means of insulated portions onthe lower ends of hell crank levers 51, 52 pivotally supported on themembers 53, 54 respectively. Mounted between the members 53, 54 are apair of electromagnets 55, 56, the function of which is the same as thatof the magnets 18 above described. The rotatable member 8 upon theplunger 3, instead of being provided with a cam 9, has a pair ofdownwardly projecting pins 57, thereon. When. the member 8 is rotated inan anticlockwise direction. as when the bar 19 is 'retracted )in 57 willbe in a iosition to engage the arm of the bell crank 51. thus forcingspring 4-6 into engagement with spring 47. Fixed to the face plate 1 isa. pair of springs 59, 60, the function of which is the ,same as that ofsprings 41, 42 previously described. Projecting from the upper surfaceof the member 8 is a pin having a right-angularly extending portion 61which, upon depression of the parts when in the position just described,will engage the outer; surface of the cam member 62 of the spring 59,forc'ig springs 59 and 60 apart. Upon the upward movement of the key,however, pin ii w ll engage the opposite side of this cam. member andspring 59 will be forced into engagement with the spring 60, closing acircuit through the shift magnet 23, whereby the members 8 will berotated so that upon the next depression of the key, its pin 58 willengage the horizontally extending portion of the corresponding bellcrank lever '52, forcing spring 48 into engagement with spring 49. Therelease means for the pawl 27 is the same as that just described withthe exception that instead of providing an upwardly and out wardlyextending finger on the member 8, said member is provided with a lug 63which operates in substantially the same manner as the-release finger40. Also the link 31 is connected to the pawl 27 on the opposite side ofits supporting pivot. Thus it will be seen that upon the depression ofone of the set of keys, contacts of the series which are associated withone controller will be closed, and upon the next depression of the sameor a different key of the set, contacts of the other series which areassociated with the second controller will be closed, this beingaccomplished automatically in the ordinary operation of the keys insetting up a call.

lVhat I'claim is:

1. In a switch, a key, a plurality of pairs of fixed contact springsassociated therewith, and automatically operated means for operativelyassociating said key with a different pair of springs upon eachactuation thereof.

2. In a switch; a plunger, a plurality of sets of contacts associatedtherewith, a contact operating member on said plunger, and automaticallyoperated means for causing said member to actuate successive sets ofcontacts upon the repeated displacement of said plunger.

3. In a switch, a plunger, a plurality of sets of contacts associatedtact operating member 1; Jsely mounted on said plunger, andautomatically operated means for causing a rotary movement of saidmember, whereby it will actuate successive sets of contacts upon therepeated displacement of said lunger.

4-. In a switch, a plmger, a pair of contact sets associated therewith,a cam on said plunger, and automatipally operated means said sets ofcontacts upon said member,

one direction, a herewith, a confor causing said cam to alternatelyengage the repeated displacement of said plunger.

5. In a switch, a plung a, a pair of coirtact sets associated therewith,a member loosely mounted on said plunger, and automatically operatedmeans for causing a backward and forward rotary movement of; whereby itwill alternately actuate said sets of contacts upon. there n: peateddisplacement of said plunge-r. a j

6. In a switch, a plurality of keys,=a-'plu-; rality of series ofContact sets associated therewith, and means Wherehythe actuation?) ofany key will operate a. contact set of a so different series from thatoperated by the next preceding key.

7. In a switch, a plurality of plungers, a." plurality of sets ofcontacts associated with. each plunger, a cam on each of said plungers,and means for causing a rotary movement of all of said cams each time aplun-. ger is operated in order .to operatively associate each of saidcams with a different contact set.

8. In a switch, a plurality of plungers, a plurality of contact setsassociated with each plunger, said contact sets being arranged inseries, a contact operating means mounted I on each'plunger, and meansfor moving-all of said operating means each time a plunger is operated,whereby said operating means will be successively associated withcontacts of said series upon the repeated depression of said plungers. o

9. In a switch, a series of plunger's, two pairs of contacts associatedwith each plunger, a cam loosely mounted on each of said plungers, andmeans for causing a backward or forward rotary movement of all 'of saidcams as successive plungers are depressed, whereby said'cams shall bealternately associated with the contacts of said pairs.

10. In a. switch, a plurality of plungers, two sets of contacts for eachplunger, said sets being on opposite sides of said plun gers, a camloosely mounted on each of said plungers, a bar loosely engaging all ofsaid cams, an electromagnet for displacing said bar, a third set ofcontacts associated with each of said plungers, means whereby thedepression of any plunger will close said third set of contacts tocomplete a circuit through said magnet to rotate said cams in pawl forpreventing the return movement of said bar. awe means actuated upon thenext depression of a plunger for releasing said pawl to allow said camsto return to their original position.

11. In a switch, a series of keys, two pairs of'contacts associated witheael key, a contact actuating member for key, and means for causing abackward and forward movement of said members as successive keys areoperated, whereby said members 139 eration of any key will cause thedisplace- 'ment' of said bar to move means for preventing reversemovement of SaIdHbH-I. and means actuated upon the next said members,

1,1eas1s 1 operation of a key for releasing said bar to allow saidmembers to return to their original position.

y In wltness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day ofNovember A. D., 15

JOHN NEWBERRY REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

NAUON E. TUTHILL, ALICE HAZLEY.

